A Box Full of Hearts
by PokewriterK1
Summary: He didn't get a look at the person who saved him that night. The man that carefully grabbed him and moved him out of the way of a car. The man walked away, leaving one thing with Richard. A box and a set of words. "Get that open one day and I'll come to you kiddo. Then I'll tell you my name." Who knew that box would change everything.
1. Ch1: The Box

**_A/n: _**_So this is what happens when it's summer and I have literally nothing to do but sit around at the house. Just to much time is what leads to something like this being created. The pairs are still up in the air as I'm not sure just exactly where this is going. So I have created a poll on my page about some subjective pairs I have thought about for this. If you have any suggestions for pairs feel free to tell me about it._

* * *

**_He didn't get a look at the person who saved him that night. The man that carefully grabbed him and moved him out of the way of a car. The man walked away, leaving one thing with Richard. A box and a set of words. _**_**"Get that open one day and I'll come to you kiddo. Then I'll tell you my name." Who knew that box would change everything.**_

* * *

**_Chapter 1:_**

**_The Box_**

* * *

It was darker than normal, the sky filled with storm clouds. It looked like the sky would break open and start pouring at any moment. He was in a hurry that night, rushing down the sidewalk to get to Wayne Enterprises. Alfred was to meet him there with the car. And he hoped to get there before it began to rain, for Alfred would not be happy if he got into the car soaked to the bone.

The street light turned red and there was a walk signal that lit up the sign across the street. Carefully but quickly he began to rush down the crosswalk to the other side. He carried papers under his arms, somethings he had been working on at Barbra's place earlier that day. He had an interview tomorrow for a new job, and she had been helping him with filling out a survey as well as practicing for the interview. It had taken about five hours before he had to leave so he was on time for dinner.

The only reason he had to get to Wayne Enterprises was because Bruce was also being picked up at the same time as him, and Alfred didn't have the ability to be in two places at once, sadly. Though if he had, it might never have happened. They might never have met. And his life would never had been turned on it's head so suddenly. Because that night, would be the night he met _him_.

A squeal of tires caused him to look up as he ran down the crosswalk. He seemed to freeze, knowing full well he would not be able to dodge the car that had just turned the corner. It crashed into a few others but it didn't stop and it was heading right for him, the squeal getting louder as it got closer. His eyes widened in horror. Sure, if he had not been suddenly panicked, he would have easily jumped over the car and been alright. But this was one of the few times that he froze and he was not able to react.

It had happened so quick, quicker than a speedster's fastest speed in his mind. Arms latched onto him, and they went tumbling _over_ the car and onto the street again. His eyes had slammed shut, and he could barley register that someone was under him, clutching him tight. He didn't feel hurt, and he heard the _man_ under him grunt in pain. There had been several screams of terror but now those who screamed were around them, trying to see if they were alive or not.

He finally opened his eyes then and looked up at them all, they all looked horrified. And when he looked down he saw why. Blood splattered the pavement but the man under him just carefully sat up, still holding him. It was a moment before he stood, again pulling him up with him. He cracked his neck a little bit and seemed to be alright. The car was stopped a few feet away and a person got out, stumbling over his own feet.

"I'm so sorry-" He began to slur and the gruff man who had saved his life glared at the man who then stumbled back and got back in his car. He didn't go anywhere but the glare seemed to scare the life out of the poor man.

"Ya alright kiddo?" It was a moment before the boy managed to respond, looking up at the man a little bit. He nodded silently then, he couldn't get a good look at the man's face. A hat hid most of his features from his eyes, but he saw the man's eyes. Eyes that pierced right through his soul in a way that he couldn't explain. A soft hand touched his hair and then ruffled his hair. "Ya better be more careful kiddo...now." He moved one arm and swept him off his feet. "Let's get ya to yer destination, and this time without getting almost killed by a car. That sound like a good idea, kiddo?" He was speechless. This man caught him off guard in so many ways. Ways that shocked him.

"...it's not kiddo." Was the first thing he began to say. "My name is Richard Grayson." And the man cracked a smile at that. A smile that Richard could only describe as wonderfully terrifying. It could light up a whole room and terrify it. The smile was bright but it showed sharper teeth than a normal person.

"I know." He responded, like it wasn't a big deal then as he began to walk. He ignored the questions of the people that stood around them, who were asking about how they were and if they were okay. Especially the news reporters.

"And then what is your name sir?" And the man looked at him for a moment before he cracked another smile. He kept walking without answering the question, giving him no name. And before long they were at the car where Alfred and Bruce were standing. Both turned their heads and Bruce showed relief on his face and Alfred put a hand on his chest. But they were guarded, watching the man. Richard was quick to explain though. "H-he saved my life."

Bruce raised an eyebrow as the man set Richard down carefully. "A drunken idiot almost hit him when he was crossin' the street with a walk signal." The man's voice remained gruff, even when talking to a man such as Bruce.

Bruce studied the man for a moment. "And how did you save him then?" He questioned calmly and the man grinned a little bit at the look, chuckling.

"What else? I grabbed him and we rolled over the car." He shrugged a little bit, like it wasn't a big deal at all. Bruce looked at Richard, seeming to ask if this was the truth. To which Richard nodded in response. Bruce then moved for his wallet, he was at least going to pay the man for saving his son and for any medical bills. "No." The sudden response made Bruce look up at the man, and he blinked.

"What do you mean no? You saved my son's life. And I'm sure that you were hurt in the process as well. The least I can do for you is to pay you for saving him. It can go to the medical bills, whatever. I just want-"

"No." The man responded again. "I don't need it. Keep it and put it in the kid's account or something." The man held up one of the paper's that Richard had been carrying and Richard's mouth fell agape. When did he grab that. "Because if he's looking for a job to pay for an academy, I think he needs it more than I do." Richard took the paper back and shifted his feet a little bit. He _knew_ Bruce wouldn't like him being a cop. Especially if he had to kill anyone. It would be frowned upon. "And cut this kiddo a little slack, if he's workin' hard for this then he wants to do it. So at least do that. _That_ can be my "payment"." Bruce sighed but he didn't feel like arguing.

"Do you at least want a place to stay for the night? We have a big enough place for you to stay if you need it. At least as something I can do for you in response to saving him." The man shook his head at that, turning around. He began to walk off, but said.

"I gotta place, and I need to get back to who I'm stayin' with before he decides to get himself into some trouble." He glanced back for a moment when Richard suddenly called out.

"Wait! At least tell me your name!" He watched the man for a moment before the man pulled something off his neck, and put it inside of something. He tossed it to Richard. The box was locked up tight, and it needed a key.

"Get that open one day and I'll come to you kiddo. Then I'll tell you my name." He then vanished off just like that...and Richard stared at the box.

"But...how do I get it open when I have no key?" He whispered.

* * *

That was five years ago. At the time he had been sixteen years old, and now was twenty-one. Things had changed many times already, and it was hard to find days of peace between it all. Between Jason being back as the Red Hood, Tim being Robin, and just a general attack on the city, there was just no time for anything. Yet, every day he found himself staring at that box. The box he had been given five years ago. It laid on the nightstand, and it never moved from it's place. Richard had spent countless nights trying to pick the lock, trying to get it open, get a chain off, anything. But it wasn't that easy. It never was of course.

* * *

"Dickybird I don't see why you insist on keeping this little tin box." Jason grumbled as he looked at the box, staring at it. More like glaring though. "It's not like you have a way to open it, and all you do is _fantasize_ about finding out what is inside." He scoffed a little bit and turned to look at Richard who had his arms crossed over his chest.

"I don't _fantasize_, Jason." He responded, grumbling a little bit as his younger brother chuckled some at that. The younger boy grinned and looked his brother in the eye, daring to say his next words then.

"Oh, but don't you totally fantasize about the man who saved you Dickybird?" He hummed a little bit, grinning like a mad man. He dodged the book that was thrown at him. Richard then lightly knocked him on the side of the head, his face a deep shade of red.

"Jason!" He snapped and the other chuckled, flopping back on Richard's bed with a cocky grin on his face. Richard then sighed a little bit, sitting next to him. "I don't think about it like you are implying Jason...I just really want to know who he was, so I can give him an actual thank you..." He sighed a little bit, running a hand through his hair. "...he saved my life but he didn't want anything...and then he gave me this box to open. To find out what his name was. I just want to know at least...you know?" He looked at Jason who looked up at him from where he was laying. Positioned in a strange way, but Richard didn't think much of it.

"So you spend all of this time trying to open that box...to find out his name. To **_thank _**him. That's what you are telling me here. Wow. Honestly that isn't that good of a reason." He sat up a little bit, putting a hand on his older brother's shoulder. He looked him in the eye. "Dickybird that isn't a good enough reason to be so fixated on opening that box. Try and figure out a reason that makes more sense by the next time I show up." He jumped up then.

"And where are you going at 5 in the afternoon?" Richard gave Jason a look of, _don't you dare be getting into trouble_. Jason chuckled a little bit at that.

"I told an old friend I'd meet him in an hour. I need to get home to change out of my costume you know." He then left the apartment, flipping out of the window. Luckily, it was open for once. So there were not broken window shards everywhere. Richard sighed a little bit, folding his hands in his lap after Jason left. He knew that he had a point. It seemed silly that he was still trying to open that box just to thank a man who had saved him five years ago. Taking a deep breath he looked at the box, before he stood up. He walked over to it and picked it up. He looked it over for a moment before laughing a little bit to himself. He set it back down, running a hand through his hair.

"This is just ridiculous." He whispered to himself. "I'm getting all worked up because of a _box_. Jason's right, this is so getting to me." He sighed and then grabbed the box again. He opened the drawer to the nightstand and put it inside. Maybe putting it away would be better for now. He shouldn't be worrying himself so much about it. "I need to focus on my two jobs...being a cop and being Nightwing." He told himself again and again for the next five minutes before he groaned and sat down.

"Oh what am I kidding, I can never do that." He rubbed his head a little bit, glancing at the drawer. "...he gave me a box to open. A box that needs a key to be opened...but I got no key. A box that is chained up, and I cannot find a way to open." He closed his eyes a little bit. "How do you open a box like that? I don't see a way..." _I'm thinking about it again._ He groaned and rolled over, shaking his head. "Okay...don't think about the box. Don't think about the box...I'm thinking about it just by telling myself not to. Great." He groaned a little bit and rolled over again to face the drawer. Then he sat up as an idea struck him. He could look up the box...and see if there were any keys he could buy! That might work... He grinned a little to himself and got up off his bed. "Maybe I won't have to think about it for much longer...if I finally get it open."


	2. Ch2: The Hearts

**_A/n: Finally I got this chapter done after hitting a few snags which caused some problems, but I got this figured out. My poll is still up about the pairings for this. I have confirmed a few but I have not removed any from the poll. So please continue voting! Also I am_ horrible_ at writing accents so I am very sorry._**_  
_

* * *

**_He didn't get a look at the person who saved him that night. The man that carefully grabbed him and moved him out of the way of a car. The man walked away, leaving one thing with Richard. A box and a set of words. _**_**"Get that open one day and I'll come to you kiddo. Then I'll tell you my name." Who knew that box would change everything.**_

* * *

**_Chapter 2:_**

**_The Hearts_**

* * *

Richard sat back on his bed, laptop in his lap, of course. He had found a serial number on the box, which allowed him to look it up. After typing in the number: **_012345_**_, _he clicked enter. It seemed like eternity before results began to pop up on the computer screen. Richard carefully moved his finger down the touch pad, looking at all of the boxes that came up. Not all of them looked like the box that sat besides him. A lot of them were more fragile looking, as if they were made out of glass. But he understood why when he saw the year the box had been made. November 17, 1808. That was the first date that one of these boxes were sold to the public. He was amazed he could find this date, but it came from the fact that they were so popular. To still own one meant you had about 100,000 dollars. That is, if it was totally destroyed. Ones that were in perfect condition could go for a million. It was _ridiculous. _He didn't get how a little box like this could be worth that much, even with how old that it was. He decided not to even bother thinking about it. But this made him worry about how much a key to get one open would cost...

With a soft sigh he kept searching carefully for a box with a key, or just the key... After not finding anything he began to click on pictures and looking at random reviews. None of them really were catching his interest. That is...until he saw something interesting. He stopped and looked carefully at one of the reviews that were under one of the pictures. There was no name but the review itself was interesting:

**_"Please do not remove. This is not a review for the product but for_ someone**. I am now leaving this comment here for someone to find, if he looks here. I have the key to open the box that I gave you...I know that is probably frustrating you that you can't open it. I know, but I did this for a reason. I want you to find me...then everything will make sense. All I will tell you is to look for a school...for talented and gifted students."

The review had been posted five years ago. Five years ago on the same date that he had gotten this little box. His heart sped up a little bit as he copied and pasted the message and emailed it to himself as well as Jason... but when he sent it to Jason he added "Jay I know that you probably won't like this, but I want you to help me." He then sent the message and took a deep breath, leaning back some. He hoped Jason would reply sometime soon, because he really needed to figure this out. _I guess I could start with trying to look up schools that need talented and gifted people... _He pulled his laptop back over and opened another web-browser.

He quickly typed in: _Schools for the talented and gifted_**. **He sighed as he looked through the results. None of them really stood out, a lot were for singers, dancers, acting, things of that nature. He searched through about five pages then grumbled and closed his laptop. Maybe this wasn't going to be as easy as he thought it was. _I need to sleep on it...and then I'll see what Jay said and see if I can find anything... _He yawned softly and then closed his eyes slowly. He laid the laptop down on the ground next to his bed before he rolled over. He didn't really know where he dropped it...but there was also the fact that he didn't really care as well. Right now he was going to sleep... And then worry about everything tomorrow...

* * *

_Richard Grayson, A.K.A Nightwing. _The voice was foreign to his mind. And he knew this was no dream, despite the fact he should be sleeping right now. Something just told him that...

**_Who are you...? And how do you know that? No one is supposed to know__ that._**

_Well I am not supposed to tell you that just yet. I'm just checking up on you for...someone else. He asked me to._

**_And how should I know that you are trustworthy about that?_**

_I guess you do not have to be trustworthy, but I might state that if I meant you any harm I would not be waiting to do so. I am merely checking up on you, for someone else..._

**_But I don't get why. Is there another reason? I mean from this it seems you could have just known already...that you didn't need to speak with me._**

_That actually is what I was supposed to do...but I wanted to speak with you about something...something very important._

**_Alright...what would this be exactly?_ **Now he was getting worried. He didn't know what was going on at the moment, or why this person was talking to him. Much less while he was supposed to be sleeping. And this conversation...he wondered what was so important to have a conversation with him like this...

_Well, Mr. Grayson, I want to ask you a question first of all...are you in love with anyone?_ It seemed like such a random question, it was the last thing he expected to be asked.

**_Well...I...I like someone yes, but I don't really know yet if you would call it_**_ **love just yet...I'm not to sure about** **it...And that person is...**_

"Hey Dickybird!" The voice snapped him out of it and he sat up quickly. He took a deep breath then looked up at his younger brother who was standing by the window. For once, he had actually entered, and not broken in. Richard sighed, taking a deep breath and shaking his head then.

"Yes, Jason?" He asked then as he got up. Jason chuckled a little bit at the fact that Richard held a startled look on his face... Jason sat down next to him and smiled a little bit.

"I got your email..." He responded then. "...and I decided...after thinking about it a long time, I'll help." He sighed a little bit. "But there's a catch." Richard sighed and looked at him, waiting to see what kind of catch Jason came up with. "You have to do me a favor in return." Jason pointed at him. "And no matter what it is, you have to go through with it." Richard groaned a little bit at the thought of that... Agreeing meant he was going to get himself into big trouble somehow. But at the same time, he had Jason agreeing to help him. That didn't happen very often. Richard let out a sigh and then looked at Jason carefully.

"Fine...I'll do the 'favor' as long as you help me out first." He stated then. "That way you can't back out of this, and that way I...can't back out of whatever you say either." He looked at him sternly. Jason then grinned.

"Fine, now, have you found this school you were supposed to be looking for?" Richard shook his head and ran a hand through his hair.

"No..." He pulled up his laptop again and set it down. He opened it to where he had left the tab open. "I've looked through a few pages but mostly it is dancing, singing, acting, things like that... And I don't exactly think that is what I am looking for." Jason looked at the search then took the computer. He added '-dancing -singing -acting', to the search and clicked go. Richard sat next to him as he watched the cursed wheel work on bring up a new page. He held his breath and then blinked when he saw the first result that came up... "Jason...I think we found what we were looking for..." He whispered then, and smiled. "And I think that is where we need to go..." Jason looked at him...hoping Richard realized what they were about to get themselves into.

* * *

It was early the next morning when they arrived at the gates of the school. Jason grumbled, glancing around to see that no one was following them. He was on the back of Richard's motorcycle, letting his older brother drive them to the location. The gates loomed over them and trees shrouded the school that was inside. Richard took a deep breath and looked around for a com... If he could find one then he could ask to be let inside. But as he looked there didn't seem to be one. He sighed softly and rubbed his head. Had they come all of this way for nothing...? He had hoped that they would be able to get inside. "...I guess we came all of this way for nothing, Lil'wing...I don't see a _legal_ way to get in." He knew if he didn't say that then Jason would suggest going over the wall. Jason sighed, glancing around himself.

"Are you really just going to give up here? When you may have found the place?" He looked at his brother and Richard looked at him slowly.

"...I...I don't want to give up but...I don't see how we're going to get in there, or even if we'll be allowed inside for that matter." He looked down and Jason sighed, getting off. He looked at the gates then.

"Did you even try to just open them?" He tried to push them open and he blinked when he noticed that as soon as he did they began to slide open. He blinked, he actually didn't expect that to work... Richard slowly got off the motorcycle, turning it off.

"Wow...it worked..." Richard looked at the gates before he looked at his brother. "You didn't even expect that to work either did you?" He chuckled a little bit as Jason shook his head. "Well...I guess we should go inside then." Jason nodded and began to follow Richard, both of them pulling the motorcycle along inside the grounds.

It took a few minutes before they got to the steps leading up to the school and Richard glanced around. Everything was quite, and there didn't seem to be anyone around. He took a deep breath and gave a small motion for Jason to stay where he was. Taking a few steps to the door, he paused, and looked up at the school. He wasn't sure if he was ready for this yet...but he couldn't turn back now... He took a deep breath and knocked on the door. And when it began to open he held his breath..

* * *

The man slowly sat up, rubbing his head. He yawned lightly, glancing at the sleeping male next to him. He remembered that he and the Cajun had been left in charge of watching the school while the others went out on a 'survival test'. He wasn't exactly sure why only the two of them were left, but he didn't really mind either for that matter. Sighing heavily, he stood up. He reached for the pants that were laying over the nightstand, slipping them on. He lightly shook the other man in the room. "Gumbo, get up will ya? It's mornin' and I hear someone at the door." The other grumbled a little and sat up sleepily.

"I'm up..." He yawned and shook his head. His red eyes flashed and looked at him. "Is da person good or bad? Or can ya not tell?"

"Rems I don't remember this scent so I don't know yet." He began to leave the room. "Throw on your pants and shirt and come downstairs. And brush yer hair, it's everywhere." He left then and headed down the stairs. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair as he got to the door. He opened it then and looked up...and he stood there for a moment. "Well...shit."


End file.
